International Journal of Emerging Research in Engineering, Science, and Management
Vol. 4, Issue 3, pp. 01-07, Jul-Sep 2025.
https://doi.org/10.58482/ijeresm.v4i3.1

Improving Concrete Strength using Jute Fiber Reinforcement with Surface Treatments

Saniul Haque Mahi

Md. Sabbir Ahmed

Mehedi Hasan

Md. Wahidur Rahman

Jamal Hossain

Md. Ariful Islam Belal

Md. Razu Ahmed

Department of Civil Engineering, Dhaka International University, Bangladesh.

Abstract: The significance of concrete in the construction sector may include strength and durability, but because of the low tensile strength and the cracking tendencies, its applicability is severely limited on many occasions. Fibers are also finding their way into concrete to counter such problems by enhancing their tensile strength, crack-bridging capacity, and general durability. This paper reflects on the effects of jute fiber reinforcement on the mechanical properties of concrete, in this case, compressive strength, split tensile strength, and workability. M20-grade concrete was mixed with jute fibers at 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.4% volume fractions and treated with three different methods: alkali (6% NaOH), acidic (2% HCl), and hot water (80–100°C). Workability of the concrete was determined by carrying out a slump test, and the mechanical behavior of the concrete by the compressive and split tensile strength tests. It was found that by the addition of the jute fibers, there was a decrease in the workability of the mixture, such that an increase in fiber content resulted in a decrease in the slump. The alkali treatment enhanced workability and fiber dispersion, whereas the acidic treatment had the greatest impact on the reduction of workability since the fibers are degraded in the acidic treatment. As far as strength is concerned, alkali-treated jute fibers resulted in the best improvements on compressive and split tensile strength, especially for low fiber contents. Untreated and acidic-treated fibers, on the other hand, were weaker, especially at higher contents, because fibers did not disperse well and were weakly bonded to the matrix. It can be concluded that alkali treatment on jute fiber reinforced concrete improves strength and durability to a significant extent.

Keywords: Concrete Strength, Fiber Dispersion, Jute Fiber Reinforcement, Surface Treatments, Sustainable Construction.

References: 

  1. M. Nedeljković, J. Visser, B. Šavija, S. Valcke, and E. Schlangen, “Use of fine recycled concrete aggregates in concrete: A critical review,” Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 38, p. 102196, Jan. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2021.102196.
  2. N. Nasrudin, N. F. Ariffin, A. M. Hasim, and M. nor S. Zaimi, “A review: Utilization of waste materials in concrete,” Materials Science Forum, vol. 1056, pp. 61–68, Mar. 2022, doi: 10.4028/p-t66fhj.
  3. W. S. Choong et al., “Utilization of green material for concrete in construction,” Civil and Sustainable Urban Engineering, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 82–95, Oct. 2022, doi: 10.53623/csue.v2i2.116.
  4. E. Ashley and L. Lemay, “Concrete’s contribution to sustainable development,” Journal of Green Building, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 37–49, Nov. 2008, doi: 10.3992/jgb.3.4.37.
  5. Muhammad Anas, Majid Khan, Hazrat Bilal, Shantul Jadoon, Muhammad Nadeem Khan, “Fiber Reinforced Concrete: A Review,” Proceedings of 12th International Civil Engineering Conference (ICEC-2022), Karachi, Pakistan, 13–14 May 2022. doi: 10.3390/engproc2022022003.
  6. T. Zhang, Y. Y. Xu, and Z. R. Lin, “The application of fiber reinforced concrete in cement concrete pavement,” Advanced Materials Research, vol. 634–638, pp. 2094–2097, Jan. 2013, doi: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.634-638.2094.
  7. V. Balagopal, A. S. Panicker, Arathy, S. Sandeep, and S. K. Pillai, “Influence of fibers on the mechanical properties of cementitious composites – a review,” Materials Today Proceedings, vol. 65, pp. 1846–1850, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2022.05.023.
  8. M Zakaria, M. Ahmed, M. M. Hoque, and S. Islam, “Scope of using jute fiber for the reinforcement of concrete material,” Textiles and Clothing Sustainability, vol. 2, no. 1, Dec. 2016, doi: 10.1186/s40689-016-0022-5.
  9. S. M. Asaduzzaman and G. M. S. Islam, “Using jute fiber to improve fresh and hardened properties of concrete,” Journal of Natural Fibers, vol. 20, no. 2, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.1080/15440478.2023.2204452.
  10. J. Ahmad, M. M. Arbili, A. Majdi, F. Althoey, A. F. Deifalla, and C. Rahmawati, “Performance of concrete reinforced with jute fibers (natural fibers): A review,” Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics, vol. 17, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.1177/15589250221121871.
  11. R. A. Nambiar and M. K. Haridharan, “Mechanical and durability study of high performance concrete with addition of natural fiber (jute),” Materials Today Proceedings, vol. 46, pp. 4941–4947, Nov. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.10.339.
  12. M. B. Khan et al., “Effects of Jute Fiber on Fresh and Hardened Characteristics of Concrete with Environmental Assessment,” Buildings, vol. 13, no. 7, p. 1691, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.3390/buildings13071691.
  13. M. S. Islam and S. J. Ahmed, “Influence of jute fiber on concrete properties,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 189, pp. 768–776, Sep. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.09.048.
  14. A. Z. M. A. A. Mansur, A. Hossain, A. Anisha, A. Tahmid, and S. R. Chowdhury, “Performance of Jute Fiber Reinforced Concrete in the Context of Bangladesh,” Malaysian Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 25–35, Nov. 2022, doi: 10.11113/mjce.v34.18724.
  15. Y. Bulut and A. Aksit, “A comparative study on chemical treatment of jute fiber: potassium dichromate, potassium permanganate and sodium perborate trihydrate,” Cellulose, vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 3155–3164, Sep. 2013, doi: 10.1007/s10570-013-0049-6.
  16. M. Ozawa and H. Morimoto, “Effects of various fibres on high-temperature spalling in high-performance concrete,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 71, pp. 83–92, Sep. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.07.068.
  17. T. S. V. Krishna and B. M. Yadav, “A comparative study of jute fiber reinforced concrete with plain cement concrete,” International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology, vol. 5, no. 9, pp. 123–129, 2016, doi: 10.15623/IJRET.2016.0509017.
  18. A. A. Mansur et al., “Compressive strength and its effect on jute fiber reinforced concrete,” Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 220–232, 2022.